Bernt Petersen Chairs
Architect and designer Bernt Petersen created a range of minimalist Scandinavian modern furniture that is today prized by collectors. His vintage desks, chairs, tables and other pieces for manufacturers such as Wørts Møbelsnedkeri and Søborg Møbelfabrik were made largely in light woods such as ash and beech, and his work is recognizable by its fluid architectural qualities and impeccably clean lines.
Just as other Danish modernists such as Hans Wegner, Børge Mogensen and Finn Juhl had, Petersen prioritized function over form and believed in the honesty of the materials with which he worked. He strived to create durable pieces for the home and adhere to the principles of traditional craftsmanship.
Petersen’s work was free of opulent ornamentation and surface embellishments — he created inviting high-backed mahogany dining chairs that were upholstered in leather and understated credenzas in rosewood. His linoleum-topped desks in solid pine stood on slender legs and featured exposed finger joints, which drew attention to his prioritization of age-old woodworking techniques. Vintage editions of his revered Rag chair for Schiang Denmark, framed in pine, offer mid-century elegance and ergonomic comfort for the guests in your living room.
Petersen set on his path of furniture making early, training as a cabinetmaker. He went on to attend the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design, and graduated in 1960. Petersen subsequently worked for a time with Mobilia and for the aforementioned Wegner — a prolific designer of iconic seating and enthusiast of the finest methods in joinery — before opening his own workshop in 1963. Petersen saw a fair amount of success in producing his own furniture, particularly as the popularity of Scandinavian modern furniture had grown around the world and especially in the United States.
Petersen taught at the Denmark Design School from 1973 to 1978, and then went on to lecture at the Royal Danish Academy's Furniture School from 1978 to 1985. He won awards from the Danish Furniture Manufacturers’ Association, the Danish Society of Arts and Crafts, and other organizations.
Find vintage Bernt Petersen tables, seating and storage pieces on 1stDibs.
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Bernt Petersen Chairs
Rosewood, Leather, Cane
Mid-20th Century Danish Bernt Petersen Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Cane, Ash
1970s French Provincial Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Cane, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bernt Petersen Chairs
Cane, Ebony
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Leather, Cane, Oak, Down
Early 20th Century French Provincial Bernt Petersen Chairs
Cane, Walnut
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Iron
1960s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Leather, Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Fabric, Rosewood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Satin, Walnut
1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Rosewood, Cane
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Cane, Rosewood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
1990s Danish Scandinavian Modern Bernt Petersen Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Ash, Cork
1980s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Bernt Petersen Chairs
Plywood
